Because the uptake of the ERAC/EESS legislation by states other than QLD and TAS has been slow, the ERAC secretariat has advised that you only need to register equipment for the first 12 month period only ($75 per model/family). You will not be charged a renewal fee at the end of the 12 month period – for now. The EESS scheme commenced in QLD on 1st March 2013 with a 12 month transition period. The other states (apart from Tasmania) have been slow on the uptake or drafting of their legislation and it appears that ERAC has to make it fair for those who have invested heavily in registration fees. ERAC realise that the transition period will be longer than the originally anticipated 12 months and have therefore put a “freeze” on renewals of the yearly registration fee of Level 3 products until it becomes a truly National scheme. They do however request that Responsible Suppliers take “reasonable steps”* to ensure compliance with the scheme. (We assume this relates only to placing product on the market in QLD or TAS as they are the only states that have legislated for the EESS) The ERAC website states;
* If a Responsible Supplier has taken all reasonable actions for registration they will be considered as having met the requirements for registration as far as can be expected.
For example the Responsible Supplier would: – remain registered as a Responsible Supplier (renew registration as it falls due); – have started registering level 3 equipment (where certificates are on the certification database); – be working through the process of registering their remaining range of level 3 equipment; and – register type and brand (and optionally model number and certification detail) of level 1 equipment they supply.
Further reading about the scheme can be found at this link – http://www.erac.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99:implementation-of-the-erac-equipment-certification-system&catid=82&Itemid=541
And any questions about the scheme should be directed to ERAC in the first instance via their website.